The present invention relates to a wiper system for a glass pane of a motor vehicle with a securing device which comprises securing members spaced apart from each other and corresponding receiving devices which the securing members can engage, and with a contact device which comprises at least one part fastened essentially rigidly to the wiper system and a part complementary to this on the vehicle side, the parts allowing the wiper system to be connected to a supply device on the vehicle side.
A wiper system of this kind is known from DE 198 33 404 A1. The wiper system disclosed in this patent comprises a supporting structure on which a total of three securing members configured as cylindrical mounting pins are provided. The mounting pins are inserted axially into receiving holes which are located in special holders on the vehicle side. Wiper bearings are furnished on the supporting structure, to which wiper arms can be attached. Wiper shafts carried in the wiper bearings are set into a cyclical oscillating motion by a drive motor through a connecting linkage. The electrical connection of the drive motor to the power supply on the vehicle side is made through a female connector molded to the motor housing, the contact containing suitable electrical contacts.
During assembly of the wiper system to the vehicle, the wiper system is first attached to the vehicle by insertion, meaning without bolts, and then a plug connector provided on the vehicle side, which is connected by a flexible cable to the power supply, is inserted into the socket connector.
The disadvantage of the known wiper system is that its assembly is still relatively time-consuming, in spite of the simplified attachment procedure for the wiper system.
The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a wiper system of the described kind so that it can be mounted more quickly and still securely to the vehicle.
This object is attained by the part of the contact device on the vehicle side being connected essentially rigidly to the vehicle and the two parts of the contact device being aligned in such a way that contact is achieved automatically when the wiper system is attached to the vehicle.
In accordance with the invention, the vehicle-side part is no longer connected to the vehicle by means of a flexible cable such that it is freely moveable, but is instead connected rigidly, so that it acts in concert with the wiper-side part of the contact device when the wiper system is attached to the vehicle, without additional manual activity on the part of a user. The two parts of the contact device are so disposed and aligned that they are in such close proximity that, after the wiper system has been mounted to the vehicle, the contact elements of the individual parts of the contact device touch and contact is achieved automatically as a result.
In this way, in a single operation, the wiper system is first, mechanically attached to the vehicle and secondly, contacts which are needed to operate the wiper system are achieved in the same operation. Assembly of the wiper system to the vehicle is speeded up, which can save costs during production. In addition, quality defects on the vehicle as the result of the proper contacts being forgotten during assembly of the wiper system are prevented.
In one aspect of the invention, the contact device is located in the proximity of the attachment point whose securing member is the last to engage the receiving device during the wiper system attachment procedure. This has the advantage that relative movements of the contacts in the contact device are avoided, the movements occurring if it were necessary for other securing members to engage corresponding receiving devices after contact had been achieved. In certain circumstances, this kind of relative movement of the contacts could result in the contacts being damaged.
It is especially preferred of the directional motion of the contacts in the contact device corresponds to the direction of installation during the process of attaching the wiper system. In this further development of the invention, complicated mechanical equipment which transfers the direction of installation into corresponding contact movements is avoided.
Especially advantageous is the further development is in which the contact device has an aligning device, and the part of the contact device on the wiper system side exhibits lateral play with respect to the wiper system, and/or the vehicle-side part of the contact device exhibits lateral play with respect to the vehicle-side part for tolerances. This takes account of the fact that because of manufacturing tolerances, the wiper system side of the contact device and the vehicle side part of the contact device are possibly not exactly aligned to each other initially. This alignment takes place automatically during the procedure of attaching the wiper system to the vehicle through the aligning device and the play.
In another further development, the wiper system side and/or the vehicle side part of the contact device is flexibly mounted in the direction of its installation. This compensates for axial production tolerances which could result in a gap still remaining between the two parts of the contact device after installation, or said parts pressing against each other with too great a force.
The further development in which the contact device comprises a plug connector and a socket connector is particularly easy to produce.
The orientation of the plug connector with respect to the socket connector is made possible in a simple fashion if the plug connector has a centering chamfer. Another further development goes in the same direction, in which the socket connector has a centering chamfer.
Production of the contact device is simplified and good sealing is achieved by molding the plug connector to the drive device of the wiper system.
A characteristic of another further development of the invention is that the plug connector and/or the socket connector includes a moisture seal. This increases the operational reliability of the wiper system under the invention.
Finally, in accordance with the invention another further development is proposed in which an electrical contact for the drive device and for a fill-level sensor and/or a fluid sensor as required is achieved through the contact device. In the case of this inventive wiper system, all the contacts necessary for operation of the wiper system can be made through the contact device, which saves additional steps and thus assembly costs.